Imagine receiving an urgent call from a client reporting suspicious activity in their system. Appointments that never took place are being logged, reimbursements requested by fraudulent beneficiaries are being approved, and credentials are being shared among users.
According to the Institute for Supplementary Health Studies (IESS), health insurance providers lost over R$ 30 billion to fraud and waste in 2022. This scenario directly impacts software companies serving hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and other healthcare facilities.
Authentication based on traditional credentials, such as badges, passwords, and tokens, no longer offers sufficient protection for sensitive data. These forms of access can be easily forgotten, shared, and stolen by criminals, compromising business security.
The good news is that biometric recognition helps solve this type of scenario. If biometrics was once seen as something complex and distant, today it is part of the reality of companies seeking more secure processes.
In this article, you'll learn what biometric recognition is, how this technology works, and which biometric modalities are best suited for healthcare software.
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What biometric recognition is and how it works
The term biometrics is derived from Latin and means "measurement of life." It refers to the study of physical and behavioral characteristics applied to security. The technology works as an identity validation tool for controlling access to physical and virtual environments, and is very important in combating fraud.
In practice, it works in four stages. See below:
- Capture: a sensor (camera or reader) records the user's biometric characteristic.
- Conversion: the biometric system transforms this image into an encrypted mathematical code known as a template.
- Comparison: the code is compared with information previously stored in the database.
- Decision: the biometric system approves or denies access.
The entire process takes just a few seconds. In the healthcare context, biometrics streamlines the authentication of patients and professionals, eliminating the dependence on passwords or identification cards. For companies, the advantage is creating a unique identification that's impossible to share.
Biometric modalities for healthcare software houses
Biometrics can be applied in different ways. Understanding the main modalities helps evaluate which one best fits each client scenario. Below are some of the key options:
Facial recognition
This is one of the most popular modalities today. The technology identifies individuals through facial features such as the distance between the eyes, nose shape, and facial contours. Verification occurs in seconds and requires no physical contact, which is crucial in clinical and hospital environments.
➡️ Ideal for hospitals and clinics focused on reducing contamination risk, as it eliminates the need to touch shared surfaces. Also applies to telemedicine platforms.
Fingerprint recognition
This is a technology with high acceptance due to its widespread use in smartphones. Biometric recognition uses the patterns found on fingertips, formed by ridges and grooves that are unique to each person.
➡️ Recommended for environments that require a high level of security and access control, such as restricted areas in hospitals. For example, pharmacies, operating rooms, medical records, among others.
Multibiometrics
This is the combination of two or more different physical characteristics for identity verification. The system may request, for example, both facial recognition and a fingerprint from the same person before granting access. If one method fails or is unavailable, the other ensures authentication.
➡️ Indicated for actions requiring maximum security, such as releasing controlled medications, accessing medical records, or approving high-cost procedures.
Before choosing a biometric modality, the main recommendation is to assess the customer's scenario. Questions such as “what level of security is required,” “who are the end users,” and “which processes need protection” can help guide the choice.
When to consider biometric recognition
There are some signs that indicate it is time to prioritize the implementation of biometric recognition. Keep an eye out for:
- Reports of fraud attempts: customers begin to report attempts at unauthorized access, for example, people using third-party credentials to schedule appointments or request reimbursements.
- Operational scalability: the volume of customer service increases, and manual verification of each patient's identity becomes unfeasible.
- Management of highly sensitive information: customers who manage sensitive data, such as medical records, reports, and controlled prescriptions, require enhanced protection.
- Contracts with strong authentication requirements: hospitals and health insurance providers demand maximum security requirements in contracts and audit questionnaires.
In summary, if customers face losses due to fraud, operational overload, or strict contractual requirements, now is the time to implement biometric recognition. It is worth noting that software houses do not need to develop biometrics from scratch. There are ready-made solutions, such as BioPass ID, a platform that provides REST APIs and SDKs compatible with different systems, which speeds up implementation and reduces the technical effort of the development team.
Benefits of biometric recognition for software houses
In addition to solving security issues, the inclusion of biometrics brings advantages that directly impact customer success and the perception of value about the software house. Follow along:
- Reduction of fraud and financial losses: biometrics reduces fraud incidents in systems by blocking unauthorized use of credentials.
- Enhanced protection of sensitive data: even in cases of stolen credentials, intruders cannot access sensitive information without the legitimate user's biometrics.
- Significant improvement in user experience: biometric authentication offers faster and more intuitive access, eliminates forgotten passwords, reduces support tickets, and improves system conversion rates.
- Commercial differentiation: the ability to offer biometric authentication positions the software company ahead of competitors.
- Legal compliance: biometrics meets the technical measures required by the General Data Protection Law (GDPL) for protecting sensitive data, facilitating audits.
- Operational scalability: biometric identity verification supports system growth without reliance on manual processes or expansion of support teams.
Specialized solutions, such as BioPass ID expand the adoption of biometrics by offering a complete cloud infrastructure. The platform brings together facial recognition and fingerprint APIs, liveness detection, biometric data management, and certifications aligned with market requirements. In this way, the software house integrates biometric authentication into systems quickly and securely, without dealing with the complexity of developing, maintaining, and scaling this technology internally.
Safety and experience first
In this article, we learned why biometric recognition is so important for healthcare software houses. The rise in fraud and regulatory requirements shows that passwords and badges no longer offer sufficient protection for sensitive data.
Different biometric modalities strengthen access control and improve the experience of patients and professionals. With BioPass ID, software houses implement biometric authentication in a scalable, agile way, in compliance with GDPR. All this without taking on the technical complexity of internal development.
More than reinforcing security, biometrics is a competitive differentiator capable of building trust, reducing financial losses, and supporting client growth. Did you enjoy this topic? Then learn Everything about healthcare biometric system implementation time.
